"Mayotte is French and will remain so," reads the sign in Mamoudzou, on the island of Mayotte. The international community has never officially recognized Mayotte's annexation to France.
For nearly 40 years, the territory has embodied the contradiction between two principles of international law. After the attempted secession of the islands of Anjouan and Mohéli, it becomes even more difficult to impose respect for colonial borders if the people of the Comoros themselves question them, says Claire Fages.